Pochin’s and DB Symmetry partner up in Middlewich

Cheshire-based contractor and developer Pochin’s has entered into a joint venture with DB Symmetry to bring forward the next stage of development at the 450-acre Midpoint 18 business park in Middlewich, rebranded MA6NITUDE.

The joint venture, known as DBS Pochin, has defined a number of plots within MA6NITUDE to accommodate a range of buildings from 90,000 sq ft to 600,000 sq ft of manufacturing and logistics space.

More than 1.3m sq ft of industrial development is planned for the site, which already has outline planning consent.

The warehouses are set to be delivered in three stages. A planning application for a 160,000 sq ft unit is due to be submitted in the coming weeks, and will form the first building within the 450,000 sq ft first phase.

Phase two will be a reworking of the plots formerly earmarked for Cheshire Fresh, which would have seen a farmer’s auction house and retail units built at the park. Now DBS Pochin is planning to deliver three warehouses totalling 475,000 sq ft on the site.

Finally, the third phase includes the largest plot available at MA6NITUDE, allowing for a 375,000 sq ft warehouse, alongside three smaller plots totalling 475,000 sq ft.

Speaking at a launch event this morning in Manchester, the new partnership outlined its plans for the joint venture, and said that they hoped the first unit would be completed by autumn 2017.

Jim Nicholson, Pochin’s chief executive, said: “MA6NITUDE has long been held as our flagship development site, and the quality of its existing tenants highlights the role it plays in the Northern Powerhouse and UK logistics network. The additional knowledge and resources of DB Symmetry will only grow the site’s popularity at a crucial time when the North West is accelerating infrastructure development and the region’s standing as a key player in the national and international picture.”

Andrew Dickman, director at DB Symmetry, added: “Cheshire and the wider North West are an integral part of our development strategy and MA6NITUDE fits perfectly within our portfolio of sites with national appeal. Our previous collaborations with Pochin’s have always proved extremely successful, so we’re pleased to be able to further our relationship with a strategic partnership that will enable us grow this already significant site together.”

AEW Architects, HOW Planning and SGi Shepherd Gilmour are advising on the next phases of MA6NITUDE.

Your Comments

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Whilst this is excellent news for Middlewich it underscores the need for the long overdue bypass to be constructed to ensure the traffic does not clog up the town approaches.

By Les

Any other country would have constructed a decent route across Cheshire from the South long ago giving proper access to Chester and North Wales, whether this is along the A41 route via Crewe and Nantwich, or the A51 etc via Winsford and Middlewich. We don’t even get adequate ad hoc improvements, never mind a proper strategic route. Cheshire needs a decent route across it like the one that links Cambridge to the M1… maybe we’d see investment comparable with Cambridge across Cheshire and North Wales if we had decent links and connections between the towns and villages.

By Alfie

I look forward to the helicopters that will be needed to access these new buildings from Junction 18 or (worse) from the town centre.

By Anonymous

What happened to the £4m they were awarded from RGF to part-fund the bypass?

By Bob

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